Shaunie Sets The Record Straight On ‘Basketball Wives’ Relevancy

'Basketball Wife' Shaunie O'Neal responds to negative reactions to her show franchise.

Basketball Wives’ stars Shaunie O’Neal, Tami Roman, and Evelyn Lozada stopped by the ESSENCE.com Live stage at the ESSENCE Music Festival to dish on what’s still to come this season on the show and address recent criticisms of the show.

The ladies showed up looking lovely and with a lot to say about what it really means to be a basketball wives. For starters, you can’t believe everything you see on your TV.

“You only see what’s going on when the cameras are rolling,” says Shaunie. “So much happens outside of that in our everyday lives. It’s television, but it doesn’t represent our entire lives or the relationships we share.”

Many critics have attacked the show as being a negative portrayal of black women in the media. Shaunie was recently approached by CNN and asked to pen a commentary in response.

“As you see on the show, I'm not a big supporter of the bickering, drink throwing and fighting, but when you put a group of strong, independent and vocal women who are going through or just came out of a bad relationship together, there's bound to be a little drama,” Shaunie wrote.

All the girls agree that how they’re portrayed isn’t ultimately all that they are.

“We don’t all get along,” says Evelyn. “That’s just life.”We asked Shaunie about the criticism she’s received on the relevancy of the show, being that the cast members aren’t actually married to NBA players.

“What we have in common is basketball,” Shaunie explains. “It’s a brand.”